The Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi has come out in strong support of the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, stating that a change in the coach will not improve the team’s performance.
Furthermore, Modi also advised that the Board of Control for Cricket in India needs to scrap some less important matches like the bilateral ODI matches. Furthermore, he highlighted the intense schedule for the players, adding that the Indian players make it to the international fixtures only after a paltry break after the long season of IPL 2026.
“But before blaming only the coach, perhaps we should also question the people constructing these punishing schedules,” Lalit Modi said.
“Our players came through an intense IPL season and were immediately pushed into international cricket, different countries, different conditions and back-to-back series—with inadequate time to rest, recover, practise or mentally reset. Players are not machines. Coaches are not magicians,” he posted on his ‘X’ handle on July 26.
“The IPL should remain the priority and the centrepiece of the cricketing calendar. ICC tournaments and meaningful Test cricket must be protected. Bilateral series should be selective, competitive and commercially relevant. Meaningless one-day series that add little beyond television inventory should be scrapped,” he added.
Additionally, Modi asserted that it would be wrong to judge Gambhir as the head coach of the team based on only a few poor results. Moreover, he requested the Indian cricketing fraternity to let Gambhir end his full cycle.
“Gautam must be judged over a full cycle, not condemned after one bad passage. Review the cricketing decisions—but also review the calendar, the travel, the recovery periods and the workload placed upon our players,” Lalit Modi stated.
Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!
